Sony has announced a soon to be released update for their massively successful PlayStation 4 console. Labeled "Update 1.70," Sony is finally adding new additions to the PlayStation 4 that have been promised since pre-release. Features such as video editing software and removal of the HDCP encryption that prevented players from using external recording devices to capture game play via HDMI.

The official press release is as follows:

With SHAREfactory, you can now easily combine your captured video clips for editing, personalize them with special effects using filters, transitions, and themes, as well as share them with your friends and social networks. SHAREfactory also allows you to personalize your videos by adding text, stickers, and a set of included audio tracks, as well as video commentary with picture-in-picture capability with PlayStation Camera. It also allows you to import your original music to add to the custom soundtrack for your video.

Take Your Share AnywhereOnce you’re done with your masterpiece, you can easily share your SHAREfactory videos to Facebook, or export them to an external USB storage device to upload them elsewhere, another new feature coming as part of the 1.70 system software update. Other PS4 SHARE enhancements include the ability to change the recording time of your gameplay to shorter increments, the ability to change who you share your clips with on the SHARE screen, and the removal of default saves for screenshots and video clips. In addition to these SHARE enhancements, the 1.70 update will allow you switch off HDCP, enabling you to capture video directly from your HDMI output so you can record and share longer clips of your gameplay sessions — a feature I know many of you have been waiting for. We are excited to see what the PlayStation Nation does with these new social features, and cannot wait to get them into your hands!

Play as Soon as the Game is ReleasedProviding you with immediate access to your games is a priority designed into PS4, and something we will always strive to make better. We’ve had a great response from PS4 fans about the Play as You Download feature, the snappy load times when launching and playing games, and the general speed and responsiveness of the UI. The 1.70 update adds features to build on this idea and make it faster to play the games you pre-order with an auto pre-download capability, which allows you to pre-download your select pre-ordered game up to several days prior to release. If you have the auto-download feature enabled, it will automatically pre-download your pre-ordered game so you can play as soon as the game is unlocked on release day.As I mentioned earlier, some of these features were a direct result of the great feedback we’ve been getting from you, our dedicated gamer community. We enjoy listening to your comments, and encourage you to continue sharing your thoughts with us. And this is just the beginning. We’ve got a lot more coming in PS4 system software update v1.70 and beyond. The PS4 experience will constantly evolve, and new innovative ideas can come from anywhere to ensure the platform continues to deliver the best in gaming and entertainment every time you turn it on.

Excited that you will finally be able to use your external capture device to record game play via HDMI? Let me know by commenting below, subscribing to me here, on YouTube at YouTube/Pitmonkey and by following me on Twitter @NicholasGigante.

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Nick has been an avid gamer since the early 90's and has worked in the videogame industry since 2005. His life goal is to have a career in the gaming industry, and is always looking for suggestions and opinions! You may contact Nicholas with your comments and questions.